Idle Threats: Dead Budgie Publishing

A call centre, a hostage crisis, and three people who thought their chances were gone. Sometimes, the worst day of your life is the one that saves you.

Liam is unravelling. Trapped in a soul-crushing call centre job at Phonetix Mobile, he spends his days absorbing the anger of strangers and his nights wondering where it all went wrong.

Bumper's life is falling apart. His business is sinking fast, the debts are piling up, and the bottle has become his closest companion.

Jodie's fighting for a fresh start. Unemployed, struggling, and desperate to build a better life for her son, she's just one phone call away from either a breakthrough, or a breakdown.

Three strangers, each on the brink. Their worlds collide in the most unlikely of places, during an armed siege that forces them to face their darkest fears, and the question none of them are ready to answer: what would you risk for a second chance?

Set in the heart of Sunderland, Idle Threats is the gripping follow-up to Alan Parkinson's acclaimed debut Leg It. Blending tension, dark humour, and raw emotion, it's a story of desperation, redemption, and what happens when ordinary people are pushed to extremes.